[3]I know it isn’t technically summer, yet. But with the 90°F+ temperatures we’ve had this week, it definitely feels like summer. So, I’ve been scanning the gluten-free food blogs looking for cool and refreshing recipes. And I found some good ones to share with you.

Good thing it’s time for Adopt A Gluten Free Blogger[4] again. If you are unfamiliar with this event, it is a roundup of gluten-free recipes tried by other gluten-free bloggers. I’m always trying new recipes, and I’m happy to share my good results with you. I missed last month’s roundup, but just made it in time for this month’s edition[5] being hosted by Iris at The Daily Dietribe[6].

This month, I adopted Nancy from The Sensitive Pantry[7]. I first found Nancy’s site several months ago while chatting with her on Twitter. (Follow Nancy on Twitter[8] and Me on Twitter[9].) Nancy has a beautiful site full of exciting and tempting gluten-free recipes that are well organized and easy to find. As you might guess from her blog title, her recipes are suitable for food sensitivities other than gluten. And each of her recipes is labeled for a variety of sensitivities: Gluten, Egg, Dairy/Casein, and/or Vegan.

[10]When I saw her post a recipe for Tropical Black Bean Salad[11], I knew I had to give it a try. And I have to tell you that it is my new favorite summertime salad! I’ve made a good mango-pineapple salsa before, but this salad is so much better. The addition of the black beans and crisp apples give it such a nice variety of textures and colors. And, I could really eat this as a meal. It does require a bit of time for peeling and chopping. (I’m still not very fast at that.) But, it is definitely worth the time, and of course no additional cooking time is required. The first time I made the salad, I couldn’t get enough of it. I had two servings of it with dinner. The next morning I ate it for breakfast with a piece of GF toast. I then had more of it for snacks later that day. I think I may be addicted to it. My husband thought it was great, too. He even passed it on to a co-worker who raved about it.

So what about the kids? Well, you wouldn’t think I would have trouble getting them to eat this would you? A fruit salad? My kids love fruit! Perhaps it was the black beans that turned them off, but I had no luck with them. My daughter did finally take a taste, but must have gotten some jalapeño, because she immediately complained about it being too spicy and wouldn’t take another bite. Crazy kids don’t know what they’re missing. It’s sweet, crunchy, juicy, and a little spicy, too. Very refreshing on a hot summer day (which is what it feels like here right now). What more could you ask for?